Underemployed artists during the Italian Renaissance took to the streets, typically outside of Cathedrals, to showcase their talents using two materials: chalk and the pavement. For hundreds of years, the sidewalk art pastime died out — until recently.

During the 1970s in Southern California, artists once again came back to the streets to convey their works of art, which later would inspire the Italian Street Painting Festival at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in 1999. “For most part of this Arts’ Festival, the artists are being salespeople,” Holly Foy, program coordinator, said. “Here at the Italian Street Painting Festival, you get to watch art happen.”